An Unlikely Pair
by Riley Killer
Summary: "Hehe, you're quick just like they were." He nodded down towards the blood soaked ground underneath their feet, "But, I wonder if you are smarter." He gave her a curious look, "Can you keep me entertained?" "I'll do you one better." Mai hissed lowly as she feigned bravery, "I'll remove that pretty head from your shoulders and mount a pumpkin there on your neck."


**A/N: **After being away for years, and by request. I have a new tale for you all. So, welcome aboard my lovely people. It's time for a new adventure to begin.

**Disclaimer:** I make no money off of this, only own Mai Hibiki, her squad, and am doing this for pure enjoyment.

Now enjoy.

* * *

><p><strong>"<strong>**Glad to See They've Kept You Well-Versed and Educated."**

* * *

><p>A hand stuck out of a chest. It was such a queer sight to see. The blood and sopping wet smooth coating of the innards, the faint thrum of the heart inches away. She just had to move her hand up, grab, and pull, that was all it would take. The condensation on the back of her mask as she panted made her mouth and chin damp as it fell in droplets against her skin.<p>

How easily she could take his life, she stared bitterly up at the hitae-ate on his forehead and let out low growl, the unmarred surface brought a small bit of jealousy to her, given his small crime during the fight. She reached up, and grasped at the heart. A snarl exited her as a kunai bit into her wrist and through, the pain ungodly. But it was too late. Her hand was already clenched. She yanked back, and listened as the scream broke into the air only to be cut off with a death moan. Her eyes shut as she clenched the heart and crushed it in front of their face before she threw it to down to the floor. The wide eyes of her prey stared in horror at her, the man fell dead to the floor, a twitching remnant of what he once was.

Mai Hibiki wasn't quite sure what had just transpired, as the haze of blood lust and heat of battle had clouded her mind. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but perhaps it was a mistake. Either way, she didn't need him to report back and bring reinforcements. The blood that coated the walls of the small cabin she'd been hidden away in made her look down at her hand with an aloof expression and slowly lift her ANBU mask, the marred symbol of Kirigakure drenched with blood. The jonin dead on the floor made her tilt her head, her dark pink tresses dark with his blood.

She spread her fingers to watch as the blood dripped down from them, underneath her gloves and it all came back to her.

She'd been hiding in this cabin to lay low. The Mizukage's orders had brought her here, a squad of three had been dispatched to bring in a rumored nuke-nin in this area. Her would-be-contact was supposed to meet her here on the outskirts of Iwagakure while the other two scouted, but evidently she'd been spotted on the way. She'd pulled her mask on at the last moment to take the knife that would have otherwise hit her face, and their kunai bit into the symbol of her beloved home. She tossed the ANBU mask to the ground and crushed it underneath her foot immediately as she covered her hand over her wounded wrist, a faint light blue accompanying it as she began to heal. There was no reason to be telling lies. She dug with bloody hands once the wound was to a manageable state, into her travel pack and pulled her hitae-ate on quickly, looking up and about as she rested it around her her neck.

She grasped a spare bowl to the side and filled it with water, and then began to wash her hair and hands clean of the blood as she recalled how it all started.

They'd broken through the window with a smoke bomb, but they should have known better than to attack a Kiri nin. They were practiced in combat in no visibility conditions. She pulled on her jacket which had been tossed to the side in the feud after it was ripped from her in an attempt to get a blade into her front.

She wondered how far the other two got and if they were intercepted? Their mission had been compromised now, the Mizukage would not be pleased. She could already hear the cheerful voice of the woman with a smile as she threatened to destroy them and put them on permanent leave if she failed again. Mei though would be forgiving provided they all came back alive. She ducked under the destroyed door, then swung her pack up onto her back. The coat covered her vest as she pulled the belts tight to the pack, and opened a scroll from her belt.

She activated the seal on it and the katana she kept hidden away rested against the clasps on her jacket after she equipped it, she rolled the scroll back up and returned it to her belt. She dropped to the ground, and laid low outside the door. As she pressed her ear to the dirt, she listened.

The world was silent around her as she shut her eyes, a sign there was danger coming or already here. Her breathing lowered to a hiss, and she heard footsteps far off…

She counted four people, and then three as a scream broke through the air. Mai's face turned up and she pushed off the ground, the grass whipped beneath her feet as she made way towards it, the sound of her movements masked. She recognized that scream as Konobi, one of her squad members. Her eyes narrowed as she scowled and closed the distance. She sensed three chakra sources, then two.

Mai pushed on and upward into the trees, the wind whipped at her hood as she forced herself faster. She hoped she made it in time. That was when it hit her, thick and rich, her mind drifted back for a moment, only a moment towards days of the Bloody Mist, and then they were yanked forward by another scream. She broke the tree line and into a clearing before she could stop herself. The momentary distraction costing her dearly as she hit the ground and came to a stop.

The chakra sources went from two, to one, and she watched as an Iwa nin hit the ground, half of his body mutilated and torn apart.

A cool, easy voice entered the air, but she couldn't take her eyes away from the dismembered form of her comrade that laid against a tree, head slumped and body stuck there by a kunai. "Well, what's this that's wandered into my midsts then…" She couldn't look away from Konobi's brown haired head as it laid feet in front of her while his body laid somewhere in the distance. His mask shattered and a lifeless blue eye stared back. "A little kunoichi from way back home, come to play with me as well?"

She looked up and the world fell silent against her ears as she made eye contact with the behemoth. He stood at least a head taller than her, if not more, and blood had flicked lightly against his pale blue skin. Gills laid just underneath his eyelids, but what had her heart in her throat were those white eyes with black pupils that saw through her, just like a predator. They made her feel small, and threatened. Her eyes caught the scarred mark across the hitae-ate on his head that whispered betrayal of a land she held most dearly.

She armed herself with her katana immediately, and watched as his mouth opened and a laugh ushered through him.

"Hehe, you're quick just like they were." He nodded down towards the blood soaked ground underneath their feet, "But, I wonder if you are smarter." He gave her a curious look, "Can you keep me entertained?"

"I'll do you one better." Mai hissed lowly as she feigned bravery, "I'll remove that pretty head from your shoulders and mount a pumpkin there on your neck." Her palms sweated, and she felt a cold sweat break out on her forehead. She knew who this man was after all. She would have to be a dunce to forget. She adjusted her katana, "How's that sound, Hoshigaki-san?"

Kisame Hoshigaki's grin widened at the daring little thing that stood before him, tensed and ready to fight for her life. He could feel a bit of excitement bubble up his throat as another soft chuckle exited him, his blade Samehada removed slowly from his back as he wielded it with one arm. He caught the slight widening of her eyes that were soon recovered with a deadpanned stare. "That sound wonderful, kunoichi, let's make your village _proud._"

She disappeared from his sight and he immediately twisted to guard his back, he watched as his blade met her own, the sound of it raking against the scales music to his ears. He watched however her arms, taking note of the pink to red skin on her wrist, the the slight tint of red in the hood where it hid. Blood gently coated her scent. He finally settled on her face in that hood, concentrated, focused. He put force behind his blade now and watched as it took her off her feet and forced distance, her feet landing on a tree, he threw a kunai at her immediately. Her head tilted and she lunged out of the way.

The fact she hadn't attempted a jutsu right away was disconcerting, he expected she would have needed too. He grunted however as there was something on his right, and a doppleganger swiped a blade at him. He growled as it caught one of his gills and nicked his cheek bone along side it. A swipe of Samehada and it fell to the ground, useless. He looked back to where she had been and found she was no where to be seen.

Oh, now that was interesting. The sound of something whirling through the air took his attention and he grunted, blocking the useless shuriken that were flung at him. He heard a low breath and pivoted.

Mai could only hold her katana tight and for dear life as the blade made contact with her own, and brace herself for the force behind it. She had been ready to stab his back, bare with only that black cloak and those blood red clouds, before he had caught on. She could only think as she slid backwards from the force and attempted to keep the bandaged thing away from her, that she should have known better.

The man was ranked as an S-class shinobi after all, but he was definitely their mission. He was their _rogue _that had been sighted. At least, she could only assume.

She doubted she could bring him down on her own, not with the fight that had taken place before hand, or her main combatants down. She would be able to afford to mourn for them later however, when she wasn't' fighting for her very life.

She jumped away from him and her eyes widened as he gave her no time to recover. Already on her again and lunging after. She could barely keep her katana steady, much less ready her hands for a jutsu. She could see his face though in a small frown, concentrated and thoughtful.

"Not very good, are you?" He finally chided lowly as he pressed the weight of the blade down on her, "Kirigakure seems to have lowered its standards over the years…"

He let out a grunt however as she abandoned her ground and jumped back. He only caught the senbon that she threw, after they bit into his leg. He let out a snarl and then looked down, before a small smirk graced his features at the needles. His head still tilted down, he looked up at her. He then tried to take a step forward to meet her as she charged again.

Only to find he couldn't move it. He quickly blocked himself and stared beyond the blade at her with a small grin, "Now things are becoming interesting…"

Mai wanted to groan, but instead forced the blade further against his, chakra flowed freely to her arms as she attempted to keep a stronger grasp. She prayed the metal could take it.

She let out a hiss as he yanked his blade out from under her own though, and took the katana to the stomach. Her eyes widened as she made contact, and didn't see the grin that split his face as he waved the blade over her.

A crunching sound entered her ears and she looked up.

She jumped back just in time, the katana yanked out of his body, to avoid the blade smashing down. She glowered at it as she felt her own chakra halved. She directed that glower to his face, and he gave her a knowing grin.

"…Glad to see they've kept you well-versed and educated." He murmured to her unspoken words. "It will make things easier to accept it when you die." The blade Samehada was a devourer of chakra, and it didn't take Mai much to conclude that was what just happened. She readied her katana again as she forced her breath to remain steady.

Kisame was just thankful he had something to play with. Granted, he was toying with her, but it appeared she was a taijutsu based shinobi at this rate, as she hadn't displayed anything interesting as far as a ninjutsu or genjutsu.

Then there was that wrist though, pink and red skin, freshly made no doubt, and the scent of blood. He opened his mouth to say something, be he never got the chance to get it out.

An explosion erupted from the trees and took them both off their feet. He attempted to jump away, perhaps even finish her off, but his eyes widened as his left leg still wouldn't move. He hit the ground and let out a snarl as the fire bit into his skin, and watched her jump away. Pain filled his senses and blurred his vision as he spotted something fly through the air, and soon the woman's body fell to the ground. The world began to swirl in and out of focus, and he lost himself to the darkness, as he finally fell unconscious.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Alrighty folks! You've read, now please if you have a moment, let me know what you think! I'll see you next chapter.


End file.
